After a public meltdown, Lisa Van Allen knew it was time for a change.

She based her book, "Your Belief Quotient: 7 Beliefs that Sabotage or Support Your Success," self-published earlier this year, on her own personal "aha" moment from her past.

"I consider myself a former queen of self-sabotage," said Van Allen, a Cedar Rapids business psychologist and consultant.

"One of the stories I tell in the book, when I was working at a corporate setting, I just kind of had a meltdown in a team meeting. I can't even tell you exactly what all pushed my buttons. I do remember part of why I was so angry, but I just lost it.

"I'm usually careful with my words and especially in a group setting like that, I'm not one to blast authority. But I really lost it with my boss and couple other people in this meeting."

After the breakdown, Van Allen's then-boss and friend pulled her aside to talk through the situation.

"I, through the years, have one of two reactions to extreme stress — I either fight back harder than I need to or I retreat," she said.

Van Allen said that many people fall victim to old habits and old cycles, as she did. So she decided to write a book intended to help others avoid similar situations.

The seven essential beliefs outlined in her book are resilience, connectedness, initiative, excellence, abundance, faith and purpose.

Van Allen runs Van Allen & Associates, a life coaching company. Through her work, she helps clients overcome beliefs that may be holding them back.

"I think they recognize themselves," Van Allen said of people's ability to relate to the book. "It's so common, the beliefs that we hold. In each of the beliefs, I talk about a continuum.

"Say, the belief around resilience. Resilience is the balance, and when we get out of balance in either direction ... you see yourself going in one of two directions all the time with your beliefs."

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